QuestionQUESTION: My '85 fj starts smoking after about 10 mins of riding, the smoke seems to come up from under the gas tank and around the fairing...you can tell it's oil burning by the smell. The bike runs fine, has gobs of power. The bike has 34,500 miles.
ANSWER: It's probably leaking or seaping oil and dripping onto the exhaust. The oil could be coming from one of a dozen places: valve cover, head gasket, base gasket, primary drive seal, cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, etc. It might even be dripping off the chain.
I would take the plastics off it and try to find the oil leak and then you can think about how to fix.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: it appears to be leaking from above the exhaust. We removed the plastics and believe thats where its leaking, how do i go about getting it repaired?
AnswerAbove the exhaust is probably the valve cover gasket. If the bike has a tach cable coming out of the valve cover, its not uncommon for it to leak there. Other likely spots include the four half-circle caps on the sides of the head. The exhaust ports sit in the head so the head gasket is below them. Oil will sometimes flow up in the front of the motor due to air pressure but its unlikely. I suggest you use some engine degreaser and a stiff brush and try to clean as much as you can around the valve cover and head gasket. You then get a little talcum powder and sprinkle it near where you think the leak is. It should show up clearly.
To repair you will need to replace the valve cover gasket. This means removing the valve cover which may require removing a few other items. I suggest looking at a service manual for the particulars on removing the valve cover. You may also need to apply gasket sealer in special spots to prevent leaks.
While the valve cover is off, it would be a good time to check your valve clearances.
